Wounded Marine Returns Home to Wed

[Hannah]

Marine Sergeant Ty Ziegel already had his life planned out, he would marry his girlfriend Renee Kline upon returning from his second tour of duty in Iraq. But one fateful day a suicide bomber hit his truck, tearing apart his body and making him among the 20,000 soldiers that have been wounded in Iraq. He was blind in one eye, had a shattered skull, and most of his skin was burned off. Renee lived with Ty at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas for a year and a half, sharing Ty's every hope and fear. Their relationship became stronger than ever, and Ty and Renee moved back to their hometown in Illinois in July 2006, and got married in shortly thereafter.

http://www.worldpressphoto.com/images/photocache/photos/2007/PO/Singles/PO-1_520x465x90.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/hannahkate/2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/hannahkate/1.jpg

source. (http://archive.reduxpictures.com/Production/PhotoGroupView.aspx?pbid=4&msa=1&pgid=6415897)

[Peanut]

Sh*t. That poor guy. It's a great story, but damn. It's stuff like this that really makes you appreciate what you have.

[Spitfire]

That was cool she still married him, love is pretty strong. through she could stand to look a little happier in those pictures,

[Peanut]

That was cool she still married him, love is pretty strong. through she could stand to look a little happier in those pictures,

I thought so too, but check out the photo album. She does seem pretty happy in there.

[ZariusTwo]

...You can see how full of wonder and joy Mrs. Glen Jacobs is

[JameO]

Truly a great story, love is truly that strong, nothing can break that, not even some stupid war that shouldnt be fought.

[That Matt Guy]

I look at those pictures, and they remind me so much of some I've seen of disfigured soldiers from WWI. You'd think they would have made advances in facial reconstruction, but it remains very much the same as 1917. It really is a pity.

[Katie]

When you are in love to that degree....it does not matter. Love truly is blind.

She'd be a pretty shallow and unworthy person if she suddenly decided the love that she felt for him was gone just because something happened that caused physical disformity.

I hope they have a long and happy marriage. Love conquors all :tlove:

[Mecha Cow]

Yowza. I feel bad for the guy, but he's lucky to have a great girl who'll love him despite his looks.

[iris]

I look at those pictures, and they remind me so much of some I've seen of disfigured soldiers from WWI. You'd think they would have made advances in facial reconstruction, but it remains very much the same as 1917. It really is a pity.
They have made advances. But on the battlefield, making it pretty is not a priority. Stopping bleeding and replacing lost fluids is the priority (in other words, simply preventing hemorrhagic shock/death), and doing that can be very difficult. It can be days before these guys see a proper operating table where the surgeon has the leisure to even consider cosmetic aspects. I have seen wounds from IEDs and shrapnel-laden blasts, and the word shredded doesn't do justice to just how messed up the tissues are. I've seen prettier things come out of a meat grinder. I'd say the surgeons did a good job on this guy, considering his face was blasted off.